T he Eric Williams Memorial
Collection provides the single
most important repository of papers of
this outstanding scholar and
statesman. Indefatigable as a
politician, Williams had the scholar's
trained mind and critical optic. This
was evident in the remarkable series of
reports to his Cabiner on several
African nations in 1964, A confirmed
internationalist, Caribbeanist, and
Pan-Africanist, Williams was
committed to Africa's struggle for
independence and associated his
nation with its cause.
But Dr. Williams never
romanticised the African peoples. He
found much to praise, but was also
distressed by certain conditions. After
visiting Senegal, he noted that it was
"tied hand and foot to France, and
nobody attempts to conceal it." He
thought the outstandingg characteristic
of Sierra Leone was the domination of
Great Britain." Similarly, he condcuded
the "dominant feature of Lberia is the
domination of the USA."
MWiliams condemned "the
enormous waste of public funds" that
he observed in Liberia, and its
ridiculous protocol. He admired
President Nkrumah of Ghanas
leadership and vision, and thought
"Kenyas economic potential probably
exceeds that of any other (African)
country." The low level of technical
competence in Uganda and
Tanganyika surprised him, He was
particularly struck by the paucity of
teachers, doctors, lawyers and
stenographers in East African
countries.

Although Williams saw in African
unity, "a powerful political movement
towards decolonisation," he was
acutely conscious of the internal and
external obstacles it confronted.
Extenally, rhe threat emanated from the
former colonial powers thai sill wanted
to retn some degree of power.
Internally, Williams identified a variety
of political tensions and disputes that
undermined the quest for African unity,
He urged college students to
liberate themselves from intellectuall"
colonialism and wanted to see
universities develop "the important
field of African Studies." He believed
that "...rhe movement for African
unity which has developed very
powerfully in recent months has nor
yet extended to the intellectual field."
Dr. Williams, the historian, also
criticized African scholars for not

devoting adequate attention to
studying slave trade history, slavery,
and the impact of Africans on the
societies of the Diaspora. "It is almost
as if Africans have been upset by their
previous history and seek by the simple
formula of forgetting slavery to behave
as if i didn't exist at all,"
These comment do not capture
adequately Dr. Williams' deep
understanding of the African reality in
the 1960's. His embrace of Africa was
bereft of empty sentimentalism and
romantic condescension, nor did his
identification with it mean that he
looked askance at other heritages.
Indeed, his life's work was dedicated to
honoring and appreciating all of the
world's peoples on their own terms.

"ihe EWM('C intends to work with
L.OTporli at'e S.jlt n4Ir and tLhe MiniLstrv
of Education in 'rinEdad and Tohbago
to promote school field trips to the
MusM.' .- SrULtLrtrd lesso plans
will also bc a component.

The. EWM(.. iin collaboratioin with
Canboulay Productions. p*lan9s [t
present the stunnrling dramatic
prcscrLn;i[[cn If Williams'
autobiography, brnrrd Hu- er,-r at
various vCI'r'lULtL in iinidad and
Toagoi. it will be fiElm'd for TV